This is my composition project for this semester.  It's a percussion ensemble with cymbals, tambourine, snare drum, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, and timpani :)

Enjoy!

Espionage

Poligorix Scriba - Overrev

When I was diagnosed with cancer back in the '90s, I found myself daydreaming of a world less defined. A place where the rules bent gently, like reeds in the tide. I wanted to break my bonds- not just of illness, but of gravity, of breath, of the body itself. I imagined a realm where gravity wasn't a force of confinement, but a kind of kindness. It didn't pull- it released. It sang in soft harmonics, lifting even the heaviest hearts into the sky. In that world, oxygen was optional. We could walk the ocean floor without tanks or fear, our footsteps stirring phosphorescent trails in the sand. The sea was warm and forgiving, and above us, the clouds swelled like gentle waves. Whales breached not from water, but from mist- leviathans of the sky, their songs echoing through the atmosphere like lullabies for the soul.
     Illness has no place here. It couldn't find footing in a world so fluid, so free. The body was light, the spirit lighter. And gravity? It was no longer a law. It was a choice. It was a melody. A whisper that said, "You may stay, or you may soar!
I imagined that melody, and I put it on paper for Beth; "GRAVITY"

Gravity

 The American Band College of Central Washington University, or “ABC” “... is a master's degree program that could change your career.”  That is some of what the brochure says. What it doesn't say, is how many friends you will make, or how many of those friends will last a lifetime. The atmosphere is professional but at the same time, it’s like one giant family, learning, laughing, eating and yes, there is a miniscule amount of partying too!  

      When they commissioned me to compose a work, I was truly was excited to do it. All I could think of was yes! I’m going back there! It felt like going home. That is the only thing I thought about when I was composing it. The camaraderie, the learning, the beautiful mountain laced scenery, everything that I love about it. When it came to a title, I kept turning over the words American Band College, and just the ABC. Then ABC turned into Do-Re-Mi, then it hit me. I could use Solfege, the method of being able to name pitches of notes. In the Key of C, ABC is La-Ti-Do which sounds like Lah-Tee-Doh. So, there you have it! What inspired the music as well as the title of the work: LaTiDo! 

Latido

Commissioned by the Mile High Freedom Bands
Commemorating Forty Years of Standing with Pride, Derek Hebert, Artistic Director

Mile High

late bloomer - for piano

Program Notes
I first encountered composer Julie in 2016 when a mentor and I commissioned her to write a piece for our high school bands.
That commission not only sparked a cherished relationship but also introduced me to a musical voice that I instantly fell in love
with. The premiere of that first piece took place just four days before my due date.
On May 29, my beautiful son, George, was born. What we could not know then was the challenging road ahead: five months
later, George went into heart failure, requiring his first heart transplant at just nine months old. A year and a half after that, he
suffered rejection and needed a second transplant before the age of three. It is this complexity and vulnerability that I knew Julie
would be able to translate so perfectly into music.
The journey of transplant is complex, almost impossible to put into words. Receiving a transplant means that someone else’s
worst day of loss turns into another family's day of hope and a future. The emotions are incredibly layered. Both recipient and donor
families experience grief, guilt, and pain, alongside hope, purpose, and the promise of a future. As the parent of a child receiving a
heart, you are keenly aware that another family is enduring the unimaginable loss of their child. It is this complexity and
vulnerability that I knew Julie would be able to translate so perfectly into music.
We call our donors Angels because they selflessly gave the ultimate gift of life so people like George
could have a chance at one. This music is a testament to George's strength, the incredible generosity of his
Angels, and the profound, enduring power of that gift.
*The above program notes graciously written by Lindsey Kemp*

“I chose the solo piano for its power to draw the vastness of music into a smaller, intimate space. No matter how grand the
ensemble, when the piano enters, the world narrows—every ear and heart attuned to one voice. The piano is a great vessel for
vulnerability. I composed this piece in the shadow of mental and emotional hardship, guided by an angel who restored me—Dr. N.
Horton, whose kindness kept me here. My crisis contributed to the “heart” this music has. For myself, “The Borrowed Heart” is
about as personal as music can get.” J.G.

The Borrowed Heart J Giroux

There is not enough Halloween, spooky or scary music in the orchestral and wind band repertoires. Big, Loud, Angry, Sneaky and most of all, that style of music never fails to captivate audiences as well as the imagination in listeners young and old alike. Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” has always been one of my favorites.
     When Dan Bassett and the South Florida Pride Concert Band asked me to compose Halloween style music for them, I was absolutely ecstatic! Nobody has ever asked me to write that style as a commission before. I have a few that I have composed, but strictly for myself, because I wanted to! I started with my favorite gaming characters I LOVE to play: Ogres and Goblins and Trolls. Then I immediately felt the rhythm of those words and how it fit perfectly to the Wizard of Oz song “Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!” and that was all it took to get me putting notes on the page. 
It was so much fun to write. I know it is fun to perform. And audiences? They WILL be entertained. It has several great sound effects that involves everybody in the band, crazy fun melodies and you never know what is coming next. It is one of my favorites. It may end up being one of yours, too.

Ogres and Goblins and Trolls. Oh My!

In the mist-covered hills of 18th-century Transylvania, a humble chambermaid discovers a music box once belonging to her great-grandmother. Its haunting melody grants her beauty and awakens a hidden power. 
One evening, she dares to try on the princess's gown. The young prince enters, expecting his sister, and is instantly enchanted. Believing her to be nobility, he invites her to the royal ball. That night, they dance beneath glittering chandeliers until a friend of the prince recognizes her- as a chambermaid. Laughter ripples through the hall. The prince, humiliated and furious, accuses her of witchcraft.
"Witch!" he cries. "You made me see beauty where there was none!" Thrown into the dungeon, tortured but unbroken, she waits for execution. Yet the whispers were true: she is a centuries-old witch, sustained by the dark magic of the music box. When the melody plays again, the castle burns. By dawn, only ashes - and the faint echo of her song.

Wonderfully Wicked

Music dedicated to those who serve their country.  
Sacrifice refers to giving up one's life or well-being for a greater cause.
It embodies the commitment to protect and serve one's country.
Military personnel often face life-threatening situations in defense of freedom.
Sacrifice can also include enduring personal hardships as well as 
separation from family and loved ones for extended periods.
It is a demonstration of loyalty, courage, and selflessness.
Exposure to dangerous and life-threatening situations.
Physical and mental health challenges, including PTSD.
Limited personal freedom and strict adherence to military regulations.
Frequent relocations and changes in living conditions.
Risk of injury or death in combat or training exercises.
There is an ultimate sacrifice, loss of life.



Sacrifice

Eric Wood graduated in May 2014 from the University of North Texas College of Music. At different points during his time at UNT, he was a member of the Concert Band under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Williams, the Symphonic Band under Dennis Fisher, the 8:00 Steel Band under Nicholas Guiliano, and the Gamelan ensemble under the direction of Ed Smith. Eric studied clarinet with Deborah Fabian, and composition with Dr. Panayiotis Kokoras. He had the honor of having two of his compositions selected and performed at “Spectrum”, a showcase for new UNT student works. He is affiliated with Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

As a composer, Mr. Wood strives to communicate with a clear tonal structure and easily accessible harmonic/melodic ideas. As an instructor, He tries to fill his lessons with the same…clear structure and easily accessible ideas.

Eric Wood is the winner of the Composers Concordance' 5th Annual 'Generations' Composition Competition (category A: composers age 25 or younger), and is also the winner of the 2015 UMKC Commission Competition.

Espionage

Eric Wood, composer

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